Worlds Apart

Worlds Apart

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Owen and Bethany try to find their way back to each other after the fictional and nonfictional worlds are torn apart in this fifth and final book in the New York Times bestselling series, Story Thieves—which was called a “fast-paced, action-packed tale” by School Library Journal—from the author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy. Bethany and Owen have failed. The villain they have come to know as Nobody has ripped asunder the fictional and nonfictional worlds, destroying their connection. Bethany has been split in two, with her fictional and nonfictional selves living in the separate realms. But weirdly, no one seems to mind. Owen—and every other nonfictional person—have lost their imaginations, so they can’t picture their lives any differently. Then Owen gets trapped in a dark, dystopian reality five years in the future, where nothing is needed more desperately than the power to imagine. Fictional Bethany is thrilled to be training with her father as his new sidekick, Twilight Girl—until she realizes that the fictional reality will fade away completely without the nonfictional world to hold it together. In this final installment of the genre-bending Story Thieves series, Owen and Bethany will be forced to risk everything to defeat Nobody and save multiple realities.
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Half Upon a Time

Half Upon a Time

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Jack lives in a fantasy world. Really. He's the son of the infamous Jack who stole the magic beans from the giant, and he's working hard to restore his family's reputation. He finds the perfect opportunity when a "princess" lands in front of him, apparently from the land of Punk, as her Punk Princess sweatshirt implies. May is from our world, and she's utterly confused to find herself in the midst of the fairy tale characters she has read about. But Jack and May have more in common than they realize--and together, they embark on a hilarious and wild adventre in this highly accessible, modern middle grade fantasy novel.
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Secret Origins

Secret Origins

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Bethany travels to a new fictional world to rescue her father in this third book in the New York Times bestselling series, Story Thieves—which was called a “fast-paced, action-packed tale” by School Library Journal—from the author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy. Owen and Bethany have sworn off jumping into books for good. But they didn’t make any promises about not jumping through strange portals that lead to a comic book world. Jupiter City was once filled with brightly costumed superheroes and villains, but nowadays, there’s nothing left but the Dark. Even the villains are terrified of the Dark’s shadows, and most of the heroes have either disappeared or been lost to mind control. The one hero who might have stopped all of this, Doc Twilight, has been imprisoned by the Dark. But who is Doc Twilight really? And how can Bethany and Owen defeat the Dark without superpowers of their own? They’ll definitely need the help of some old friends and new allies to bring the light back to Jupiter City, and find out the truth behind the Dark. It all comes back to Bethany’s own secret origins. What really happened when her fictional father disappeared years ago? Who is Nobody, and why is he writing these Story Thieves books? And what kind of supervillain name is The Rotten Banana?
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The Last Dragon

The Last Dragon

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Fort Fitzgerald is determined to uncover the truth, but a new student at school and the secrets he has to keep complicate matters in this second novel in a thrilling new series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Story Thieves!Fort Fitzgerald can't stop having nightmares about the day his father was taken from him in an attack on Washington, DC. In these dreams, an Old One, an evil beyond comprehension, demands the location of the last dragon. But other than some dragon skeletons dug up with the books of magic on Discovery Day, Fort has never seen a dragon before. Could there still be one left alive? And weirdly, Fort's not the only one at the Oppenheimer School having these nightmares. His new roommate, Gabriel, seems to know more than he's letting on about this dragon as well. And why does everyone at the school seem to do whatever Gabriel says? What's his secret? Fort's going to need the help of his friends Cyrus, Jia, and...
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Story Thieves

Story Thieves

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Life is boring when you live in the real world, instead of starring in your own book series. Owen knows that better than anyone, what with the real world’s homework and chores. But everything changes the day Owen sees the impossible happen—his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the library. It turns out Bethany’s half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character. Bethany can’t let anyone else learn her secret, so Owen makes her a deal: All she has to do is take him into a book in Owen’s favorite Kiel Gnomenfoot series, and he’ll never say a word. Besides, visiting the book might help Bethany find her father… …Or it might just destroy the Kiel Gnomenfoot series, reveal Bethany’s secret to the entire world, and force Owen to live out Kiel Gnomenfoot’s final (very final) adventure.
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The Timeless One

The Timeless One

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Fort becomes entangled with legendary creatures and foes in this thrilling fourth novel in the fantastical series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Story Thieves!The future has been saved, but at a cost: Fort Fitzgerald has been expelled from the Oppenheimer School, and some of Fort's friends have been lost in time. But time is the one thing Fort, Rachel, and Jia don't have, as they'll soon be facing one of the eternal Old Ones, the Timeless One, for the fate of the world. If they lose, the Old Ones will return, and humanity is doomed. If they win, the Old Ones will still return, and humanity is doomed. Because the Timeless One can see every possibility, and plan for it. How can Fort and his friends defeat a creature like that? And what does this all have to do with the real-life Merlin, from King Arthur's days?
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Pick the Plot

Pick the Plot

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

When Owen finds himself stuck in a Pick Your Own Plot story, things get more complicated than ever in this fourth book in the New York Times bestselling series, Story Thieves—which was called a “fast-paced, action-packed tale” by School Library Journal—from the author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy. Being able to jump into books used to seem like the greatest thing in the world to Owen Connors. But now Owen’s trapped in a time travel book where readers—that would be you—decide how the story goes. As if that weren’t enough, Owen’s also stuck in a prison for time criminals in a prehistoric era. He’s surrounded by bizarre fellow prisoners, including Kara Dox. How does Kara recognize Owen if they’ve never met before? She seems to think they’re old friends, but that can’t be possible. Still, Kara might just be the only chance Owen has to escape. And he has to find a way out to save his friend Bethany, who’s still in grave danger. Because unless Owen can stop him, Nobody is going to split Bethany into two, separating the fictional and non-fictional worlds forever. Will Owen be able to convince you, the reader, to help him find his way back to Bethany? Or will you feed him to dinosaurs just to teach him a lesson? It’s all up to you when you Pick the Plot.
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The Future King

The Future King

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Fort's continued adventures take more surprising twists and turns in this third novel in a thrilling series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Story Thieves!Dealing with monster attacks and his missing father has been hard enough for Fort Fitzgerald in his first month at the Oppenheimer School. But there's another school for magic, this one in the United Kingdom, that's about to create even bigger problems. Six of the Carmarthen Academy students found themselves lost in time when they first started learning magic. Now they've returned, with news of a coming war that the students claim only they can stop. But their new plan for the world might lead to an even worse future, one that Fort and his friends are destined to help bring about, no matter how much they might want to fight it. Can Fort change the future that the Time students have already seen play out? Or is he destined to pay for his past mistakes for all of time?
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The Stolen Chapters

The Stolen Chapters

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Owen, Kiel, and Bethany confront secrets, stolen memories, and some very familiar faces in the follow-up to The Story Thieves—which was called a “fast-paced, action-packed tale” by School Library Journal—from the bestselling author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy. Owen Conners would never jump into a mystery. There are too many hidden clues, twists that make no sense, and an ending you never see coming. Mysteries are just not Owen’s thing. So how exactly did he end up in one with his memory erased? And that’s far from the only question. How did Kiel Gnomenfoot, boy magician, lose all of his magic? Where’s Bethany, their half-fictional friend? And who’s the annoying guy wearing the question mark mask and Sherlock Holmes hat, taunting Owen and Kiel that Bethany is in grave danger? Bethany is trapped in a hidden room that’s slowly filling with water, and she can’t escape until her friends find her. But is she imprisoned by more than just chains and a locked door? What’s she hiding from Owen and Kiel? Maybe some mysteries just shouldn’t be solved…
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Once Upon the End

Once Upon the End

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Will there be happily ever after? Don’t miss the fractured-fairy tale conclusion to the action-packed and humor-filled Half Upon a Time trilogy! Jack and May have gone their separate ways, and each is now set on course to fulfill their destiny…or are they? Nothing is ever quite as it seems in the world of fairy tales, and the two friends are in for some huge surprises as they prepare to battle the Wicked Queen once and for all. Knights, fairy godmothers, giants, and beanstalks—all of these and more fill the pages of the thrilling and hilarious conclusion to the Half Upon a Time trilogy!
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The Revenge of Magic

The Revenge of Magic

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

When long-dead magical creatures are discovered all around the world, each buried with a book of magic, only children can unlock the dangerous power of the books in this start to a thrilling new series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Story Thieves!Thirteen years ago, books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside the bones of dragons. Only those born after "Discovery Day" have the power to use the magic. Now, on a vacation to Washington, DC, Fort Fitzgerald's father is lost when a giant creature bursts through the earth, attacking the city. Fort is devastated, until an opportunity for justice arrives six months later, when a man named Dr. Opps invites Fort to a government run school, the Oppenheimer School, to learn magic from those same books. But life's no easier at the school, where secrets abound. What does Jia, Fort's tutor, know about the attacks? Why does Rachel, master of...
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Twice Upon a Time

Twice Upon a Time

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Pirates and mermaids face off in this fractured-fairy tale sequel to Half Upon a Time! Jack and May are back for another adventure in the world of fairy tales with a twist. Now that they know about May’s grandmother’s real intentions, they’re on the hunt to learn May’s true identity. The search for answers leads Jack and May to the world of the Sea King, where they land right in the center of a battle between mermaids and the Pirate Bluebeard. The laughter and action are as nonstop as ever in this next book from new author James Riley!
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[Half/Time 02] Twice Upon a Time

[Half/Time 02] Twice Upon a Time

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Little mermaids and normal-sized pirates always create the biggest of problems, don't they?After the surprise revelations of HALF UPON A TIME, Jack, May and Phillip could use the help of a fairy godmother or two on their search for May's true identity. Only, there might be a snag: The entire Fairy Homelands have been put to sleep by an evil curse, and waking them could be hard. That's only if by hard, you mean escaping from the Land of Never, braving a merman-infested ocean to find a Sea Witch, then fighting alongside the pirate Bluebeard against an army of land-invading sharks with legs, all while trying to outwit one of the Wicked Queen's Eyes who seems to know your every move. So, yeah, a bit hard.  But what fun would an easy fairy tale be?
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[Half/Time 01] Half Upon a Time

[Half/Time 01] Half Upon a Time

James Riley

Fantasy / Childrens / Middle Grade

Jack lives in a fantasy world. Really. He's the son of the infamous Jack who stole the magic beans from the giant, and he's working hard to restore his family's reputation. He finds the perfect opportunity when a "princess" lands in front of him, apparently from the land of Punk, as her Punk Princess t-shirt implies. May is from our world, and she's utterly confused to find herself in the midst of the fairy tale characters she has read about. But Jack and May have more in common than they realize--and together, they embark on a hilarious and wild adventure in this highly accessible, modern middle grade fantasy novel.
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